crm/ow pages
Origin & 1st app of Iron Man (Tony Stark); Jack Kirby cover; Steve Ditko art
Realizing the growing Marvel audience was composed primarily of hip, and largely left-leaning, young men, Stan Lee challenged himself to create a hero who would be the embodiment of everything the counterculture was railing against, and still elicit sympathy from readers. As a result, Tony Stark was envisioned as an older, hard-drinking, playboy millionaire, and Iron Man quickly became a cult favorite whose popularity has only grown over the years.

The origin story of Iron Man is one deeply rooted in the Vietnam War era. Tony Stark, a weapons designer, is brought in to help the U.S. government in their efforts to combat the Vietcong. Stark is mortally wounded by a booby trap and taken captive. During his imprisonment, the ingenious Stark constructs a suit of armor that contains an array of gadgets and firepower and also slows the approach of a piece of shrapnel that is inching toward his heart. Stark is reborn and ready to do battle with the forces of Communism and other evils around the globe in his new role as the iconic Iron Man.

In recent years, Iron Man has become one of the most popular and recognizable pop culture icons worldwide. The 2008 film “Iron Man” heralded the birth of the MCU, the highest-grossing and most popular film franchise of all time. Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man would go on to lead the cinematic Avengers, and crossover with dozens of other famous heroes on screen, making superstars out of countless Marvel characters. Tony Stark first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39 in March 1963, a Marvel masterwork that would shape the publisher’s output for decades to come. This is an all-time classic key, which introduces one of the longest-running and most beloved characters in all comicdom. With major roles in over a dozen films, Iron Man is the defining movie character of the early 21st century, and this is a handsome example of his very first appearance. “I think that's probably one of the greatest decisions in the history of Hollywood,” Kevin Feige recently commented on the casting of Downey Jr. as Tony Stark.

Overstreet Guide 2022 FN+ (6.5) value = $14,000.

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